Power-actuated motor-vehicle door latch with antitheft mode

Abstract

A motor-vehicle door latch has a latching element movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, and a locking pawl engageable with the element and displaceable between a locked position retaining it in the latched position and an unlocked position allowing it to move into the unlatched position. Power actuation is effected by a planetary-gear drive and including a reversible electric motor, a sun gear rotatable by the motor about the planetary axis, at least one planet gear meshing with the sun gear, a planet carrier carrying the planet gear, and a ring gear meshing with the planet gear. A locking lever is displaceable by a door handle and by the planet carrier between a locked position and an unlocked position and a coupling element is displaceable in the housing between a coupling position engaged between the locking pawl and locking lever for coupling the locking pawl and lever together for joint movement from the unlocked to the locked position and a decoupling position permitting the locking lever to move between its position without moving the locking pawl. An antitheft element is displaceable by the sun gear between an antitheft-on position engageable with the coupling element and retaining same in the decoupling position and an antitheft-off position permitting the coupling element to move between its positions. Structure coupled to the antitheft element arrests the planet carrier in the antitheft-on position of the antitheft element.